Exercise and Physical Activity

Older Adults

ACSM 2009 Position Stand

Advancing age is associated with physiologic changes that result in reductions in functional capacity and altered body composition

Advancing age is associated with declines in physical activity volume and intensity

Advancing age is associated with increased risk for chronic diseases, but physical activity significantly reduces this risk

Individuals differ widely in how they age and in how they adapt to an exercise program.

It is likely that a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors contribute to the wide inter-individual variability seen in older adults.

Healthy older adults are able to engage in acute aerobic or resistance exercise and experience positive adaptations to exercise training.

Regular physical activity can favorably influence a broad range of physiological systems and may be a lifestyle factor that discriminates between those who have and have not experienced successful aging.

Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing a large number of chronic diseases and conditions and is valuable in the treatment of numerous diseases.

Vigorous, long-term participation in aerobic exercise training (AET) is associated with elevated cardiovascular reserve and skeletal muscle adaptations that enable the aerobically trained older individual to sustain a submaximal exercise load with less cardiovascular stress and muscular fatigue than their untrained peers

Prolonged aerobic exercise also seems to the age-related accumulation of central body fat and is cardioprotective.

Prolonged participation in resistive exercise training (RET) has clear benefits for slowing the loss of muscle and bone mass and strength, which are not seen as consistently with aerobic exercise alone.

AET programs of sufficient ◦ Intensity (> 60% of pre-training VO2max), ◦ Frequency (> 3 d . wk-1)◦ Length (>16 wks)

can significantly increase VO2max in healthy middle-aged and older adults.

Three or more months of moderate-intensity AET elicits cardiovascular adaptations in healthy middle-aged and older adults, which are evident at rest and in response to acute dynamic exercise.

In studies involving overweight middle-aged and older adults, moderate intensity AET has been shown to be effective in reducing total body fat.

In contrast, most studies report no significant effect of AET on FFM.

AET can induce a variety of favorable metabolic adaptations including:◦ enhanced glycemic control, ◦ augmented clearance of postprandial lipids, ◦ and preferential utilization of fat during

submaximal exercise.

AET may be effective in counteracting age-related declines in BMD in postmenopausal women.

Older adults can substantially increase their strength after RET.

73 years young

Substantial increases in muscular power have been demonstrated after RET in older adults.

315 lbs lifted

Increases in muscle quality (muscular performance per unit of muscle volume or mass) are similar between older and younger adults, and these improvements do not seem to be sex-specific.

Improvements in muscular endurance have been reported after resistive muscular training using moderate- to higher-intensity protocols, whereas lower-intensity RET does not improve muscular endurance.

Favorable changes in body composition, including increased FFM and decreased FM have been reported in older adults who participate in moderate or high intensity RET.

High-intensity RET preserves or improves BMD relative to sedentary controls, with a direct relationship between muscle and bone adaptations.

Evidence on the effect of RET on metabolic variables is mixed.

There is some evidence that RET can alter the preferred fuel source used under resting conditions, but there is inconsistent evidence regarding the effects of RET on BMR.

The effect of RET on a variety of hormones has been studied increasingly in recent years; however, the exact nature of the relationship is not well understood.

Multimodal exercise, usually including strength and balance exercises, and tai chi have been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of non-injurious and sometimes injurious falls in populations who are at an elevated risk of falling.

Few controlled studies have examined the effect of flexibility exercise on ROM in older adults.

There is some evidence that flexibility can be increased in the major joints by ROM exercises; however, how much and what types of ROM exercises are most effective have not been established.

The effect of exercise on physical function and activities of daily living is poorly understood and does not seem to be linear.

RET has been shown to favorably impact walking, chair stand, and balance activities, but more information is needed to understand the precise nature of the relationship between exercise and functional performance.

Regular physical activity is associated with significant improvements in overall psychological well-being.

Both physical fitness and AET are associated with a decreased risk for clinical depression or anxiety.

Exercise and physical activity have been proposed to impact psychological well-being through their moderating and mediating effects on constructs such as self-concept and self-esteem.

Epidemiological studies suggest that cardiovascular fitness and higher levels of physical activity reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Experimental studies demonstrate that AET, RET, and especially combined AET and RET can improve cognitive performance in previously sedentary older adults for some measures of cognitive functioning but not others.

Exercise and fitness effects are largest for tasks that require complex processing requiring executive control.

Although physical activity seems to be positively associated with some aspects of quality of life, the precise nature of the relationship is poorly understood.

There is strong evidence that high-intensity RET is effective in the treatment of clinical depression.

More evidence is needed regarding the intensity and frequency of RET needed to elicit specific improvements in other measures of psychological health and well-being.

Health Benefits◦ 150 min . wk-1

◦ Additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases

◦ Be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow

AET◦ Frequency

Accumulate 30-60 mins of moderate intensity per day to total 150-300 per week

Accumulate 20-30 mins of vigorous intensity per day to total 75-150 per week

◦ Intensity On 0-10 scale, 5-6 for moderate and 7-8 for vigorous

intensity

AET◦ Duration

At least 30 mins per day Can be accumulated in intervals > 10 mins

◦ Type Anything that does not impose excessive orthopedic

stress Walking most common Aquatic exercise and stationary cycling

RET◦ Frequency

At least 2 days per week◦ Intensity

Between moderate (5-6) and vigorous intensity (7-8) on a scale of 0 to 10.

◦ Type Progressive weight training program or weight

bearing calisthenics, or stair climbing 8-10 exercises involving the major muscle groups of

8-12 repetitions each

Flexibility◦ Frequency

At least 2 days per week◦ Intensity

Moderate (5-6) on a 0-10 scale◦ Any activities that maintain of increase flexibility

using standard stretches for each major muscle group and static rather than ballistic movements

Johnny Kelley, a bow-legged marathoner with more endurance than the Energizer Bunny, competed in the Boston Marathon a record 61 times and won the grueling race twice. He finished second a record seven times and in 18 races he placed in the top 10. He continued running in the Boston Marathon until 1992, when he retired at the age of 84.(Boston Globe)

Kelley in Hopkinton before the 1996 race. First Marathon victory, 1935.

Boston Marathon manJohnny Kelley dies at 97